Over A Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields
Over a million students, about a third of total 3 million students (1.4 million women, 1.6 million men) enrolled in Pakistani universities and degree colleges, are currently studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM Education), according to data released by the country's Higher Education Commission (HEC). Of these students, 415,008 are studying natural sciences and mathematics, 276,659 are in information and communication technologies (ICT), 178,260 are in health sciences and 166,457 are in engineering. Pakistan produced 157,102 STEM graduates last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).
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| Student Enrollment By Field of Study at Pakistani Higher Education Institutions. Source: HEC |
Nearly half a million Pakistani women are currently enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses at universities, accounting for nearly 46% of all STEM students in higher education institutions in the country.
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| Clockwise From Top Left: Nergis Mavalvala, Maria Abrar, Maheen Adamson, Tasneem Zehra Husain, Sundas Khalid, Asifa Akhtar |
Acceptance rate in Pakistani universities and degree colleges was just 13.5% last year. Only 541,043 students were accepted from 4,085,185 students who applied. The country produced 471,306 university graduates in 2020-21. Of these, 157,102 were in STEM fields, including 43,000 graduates in information technology (IT).
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| Pakistan Higher Education Admission and Graduation Statistics. Source: HEC |
In absolute terms, Pakistan probably ranks among the top dozen or so nations producing university graduates in STEM and IT fields. However, the country lags significantly behind its lower middle income peers in terms of percentage of students enrolled in universities. Only 12% of young people in the 18-25 age group are currently enrolled in higher education institutions. This is about half of the 25% average for South Asia. The data from the World Bank shows that the higher education enrollment rate was extremely low in Pakistan until 2000 when late President Musharraf decided to significantly boost investment in building universities and hire faculty to rapidly increase access to higher education in the country.
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| Tertiary Education Enrollment Rates. Source: World Bank |
As Pakistan struggles with multiple serious crises, these young men and women now studying in the nation's universities and colleges offer hope for its bright future. In fact, the vast majority of Pakistanis feel that they have better lives than their parents did, and they think their children will have even better lives than theirs, according to a Gallup International Poll of 64 countries conducted from August to October last year. The poll asked two questions: 1) Do you feel your life is better, worse or roughly similar to that of your parents? and 2) Do you think your children will have a better, worse or roughly the same life as you? The answers to these questions reveal that Pakistanis are among the top 5 most positive nations among 64 countries polled by Gallup International. Anecdotal evidence in terms of packed shopping malls and restaurants in Pakistan's major cities confirms it. Such positivity augurs well for Pakistan's prospects of successfully dealing with the current crises. It will drive the nation's recovery.
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Comments
They resent rapid increase in access to public higher education, citing quality as an excuse.
Quality is in the eye of the beholder. Pakistani STEM grads are good enough to work in major SiliconValley tech firms. Many NED grads are highly successful here. I know many FAST grads working for Facebook HQ in MenloPark.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2017/11/marvell-to-pay-75-billion-for-cavium-co.html
Karachi NED grad Sajjad Khan was the head of Mercedes Benz SelfDriving Cars and EV division for many years. He is now on the executive board of Porsche in Germany.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/01/karachi-born-ned-university-alum-leads_7.html
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1033613-various-milestones-achieved-under-stem-project-during-2021-22
According to an official source, the project is being executed through the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology. Since the initiation date of the project (August 10, 2021), training modules are being developed for the grade IX-XII for which correspondence with national stakeholders including the National Curriculum Council (NCC), Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Agha Khan University (AKU), was made, paving the way for making a consolidated document in this regard.
Furthermore, 76 best national scientists were contacted throughout the country and were requested to provide experiments for STEM. A tender for the Development of Training Modules on STEM Education is also in process and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Under the STEM project, 50 higher secondary schools (HSSs) or cadet colleges have been selected by transforming their existing labs into Mini STEM FABLABs, in addition to teacher training programs and module development on STEM education.
The payment of rupees one million was being provided to each school for developing the FABLABS which will provide students an opportunity to get hands-on training regarding state-of-the-art equipment, including design computers, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, and robotics ultimately enabling young minds for a better future. The task of purchasing IT Equipment was completed during FY 2021-22 through a tender and different IT Equipment were purchased and installed in STEM PSF Academy.
The PSDP ‘Launching of STEM in Pakistan, Phase-1’ was initiated as an umbrella project which shall be simultaneously executed across the country with the support of federal and provincial stakeholders or education departments. The major objectives of the STEM project were to officially launch STEM, the modern tool for the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in Pakistan in 50 HSS/cadet colleges in the first phase and to coordinate the provision of specialised national and international capacity building programmes on STEM education for science teachers and pedagogues.
The objectives included coordinating the development, introduction and adoption of modern pedagogical tools and interventions for STEM including STEM framework/global best practices; equipping the youth with meaningful learning through hands-on experiences, and improve their cognitive abilities and developing entrepreneurship skills amongst students through STEM education to make them job givers instead of job seekers. The development project ‘Launching of STEM in Pakistan, Phase-I (Revised)’, was approved by the Developmental Department Working Party (DDWP) of the ministry in the meeting held in August 2021 at a total cost of Rs993.784 million with 36 months duration. The administrative approval was issued by the ministry on October 15, 2021.
Experts warn of talent erosion after nearly 1m workers left in 2022
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Pakistan-brain-drain-accelerates-in-latest-threat-to-ailing-economy
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis are leaving for jobs abroad amid the country's financial and security woes -- a brain drain that threatens to further damage the struggling economy.
Figures from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment show that 832,339 Pakistanis went overseas for work in 2022, the most since 2016 and the third-highest tally on record. Saudi Arabia was the most preferred destination, attracting 514,909.
Ahmad Jamal, an immigration lawyer in Quetta, said the actual number of people leaving is much larger since the data only covers work visas. He said many categories of emigrants are not included, such as those traveling out on permanent residency visas, student visas and family settlement visas.
The dire state of the Pakistani economy offers few reasons to stay. It is on the verge of collapse, with foreign exchange reserves down to $2.9 billion, enough to cover barely three weeks of imports. Inflation hit 27.6% on the year in January. Per capita income stands at $1,658.
Last week, talks with the International Monetary Fund for the revival of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility -- vital for keeping the country afloat -- ended inconclusively.
Young Pakistanis, who account for the majority of the population, face bleak prospects. Pakistan's National Human Development Report in 2017 said 64% were younger than 30, while 29% were between the ages of 15 and 29.
"From security to the economy there are many repelling factors, which push youngsters like me away from my homeland," said Atiya Khan, a 25-year business development professional who has been living in the United Arab Emirates with her parents for two decades. She said she does not want to go back to Pakistan and is looking for options to settle in the West.
Tania Baloch, a journalist who previously published a magazine called Balochistan Inside in Karachi, emigrated to Canada a couple of years ago. "I left Pakistan because the future of my kids was not secure there," she said.
Such security concerns have only grown recently, with a surge in terrorism. But many worry that the exodus, particularly skilled workers who accounted for about 90,000 of the departures in 2022, will only compound Pakistan's problems.
Yousaf Nazar, a London-based economist formerly with Citigroup, said anecdotal evidence suggests that Pakistan's business graduates do relatively better abroad. "If some of them leave, it makes the capacity issue [in Pakistan's economy] even worse," he told Nikkei.
Young people are not the only ones rushing for the exit.
Multiple immigration experts said people in their 40s and 50s are also trying to move out of the country.
Jamal, the Quetta lawyer who deals with dozens of hopeful migrants on a monthly basis, said many of his customers are middle-aged or older. "It's unbelievable that a rising number of relatively older people are seriously exploring options to move out of Pakistan due to security and economic issues," he said.
Jamal added that most of the people are liquidating their assets or borrowing loans in Pakistan for immigration and leaving with no intention of returning.
"I know people who once settled abroad and then returned to Pakistan to serve their country," he added. "Now they are also doing their best to revive their immigration status and move out of the country again."
Some downplay the issue. A government official dealing with immigration, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, argued that the issue is being blown out of proportion.
He said that "800,000 moving, out of a 220 million population, barely makes 0.4% and hence it's not as big an issue as the media is making it."
https://mea.gov.in/images/attach/NRIs-and-PIOs_1.pdf
POIs: 13.5 million
NRIs: 18.7 million
Total: 32.2 million
Top destinations:
USA 4.5 million
UAE 3.5 million
Malaysia 3 million
Saudi Arabia 2.6 million
Myanmar 2 million
UK 1.8 million
Canada 1.6 million
Sri Lanka 1.6 million
South Africa 1.6 million
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/02/17/pakistan-floods-climate-change-adaptation-education-language-accessibility-global-south/
Seven educators from across the country took part in the program, which equipped them with the resources to teach children from sixth to eighth grade about climate change and climate action in their schools by translating materials into local languages and engaging in play-based activities. The program was the first of its kind in a country that would months later be reeling from a summer of deadly super floods.
Those floods were one reason that state parties to last year’s United Nations climate change conference in Egypt, known as COP27, approved the creation of a loss and damage fund. Though rich countries had for decades shunned the prospect, Pakistan and other vulnerable countries in the global south helped move climate reparations into the mainstream conversation.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1041372-enabling-digital-transformation
By Jorgen C Arentz RostrupFebruary 17, 2023
Digital technologies in Pakistan could create up to Rs9.7 trillion ($59.7 billion) in economic value by 2030, if they are fully leveraged. This is equivalent to about 19 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2020.
‘Digital Lives Decoded 2022’, a study conducted by Telenor Asia, found that 54 per cent of Pakistanis believe mobile devices and mobile technology have significantly improved their careers and aided in developing their skills, with women reporting that their mobile devices have significantly improved their quality of life.
Mobile phones are also widely seen as a way of generating income. Nearly half of the people surveyed in the study feel mobile usage provided work and income opportunities that were unavailable before the pandemic. In Pakistan, 38 per cent of the respondents believe mobile access has created new opportunities for them.
Our research points to mobile connectivity being an enabler of productivity, progress, economic opportunity, and flexibility. Enabling people to connect to what matters most to them, accessibility to information, increasing productivity and an easy and safe way to manage their finances, are just a few of the many advantages of an increasingly digitized world.
However, privacy and security have become serious concerns in every country we surveyed for the Digital Lives Decoded 2022, including Pakistan.
In the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2023 unveiled last month, the failure of cyber security measures, including loss of privacy, data fraud or theft, and cyber espionage was identified as one of the top five risks that Pakistan faces. The Global Cyber Security Index, which measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity, placed Pakistan 18th out of 38 Asia-Pacific nations, trailing Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.
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Due to an unprecedented rise in the cost of operations in Pakistan, the sector’s financial health has been severely impacted. The need for further investments to make customers and businesses in Pakistan less vulnerable to cyber threats is urgent. Such priorities include the build-up of national capabilities and capacities in cyber security. The country already produces over 20,000 Information Technology (IT) graduates each year, has nurtured over 700 tech start-ups since 2010, and has the fourth highest earning IT workforce in the world, so there is tremendous potential left untapped.
There is an urgent need for the telecom sector to get the much-needed fiscal space and support to continue investing in and modernizing the infrastructure which would meet the digital needs of Pakistani society, enable the economic recovery and support the government’s longer term nation building ambitions.
As an owner of two of Pakistan’s most significant telco and mobile financial companies, Telenor looks forward to continued engagement with the government, civil society and all other digital ecosystem players in the country to support the continued digital development of Pakistan.
Michael Amdi Madsen, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/pakistan-and-iaea-accelerate-nuclear-cooperation-to-address-climate-food-and-health
Mr Grossi was welcomed at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), an IAEA partner in work related to human health, nutrition and water analysis. At PINSTECH, Mr Grossi inaugurated a dosimetry laboratory. Mr Grossi also visited the Pakistan Centre of Excellence in Nuclear Security (PCENS), saying he was impressed by the high standard of the facility and that he looked forward to further collaboration.
At the Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute in Islamabad, Mr Grossi inaugurated Cyberknife, a new cancer treatment facility that he described as a milestone for the country. He said Pakistan would be able to support its neighbours with regards to cancer treatment access by becoming a regional centre under Rays of Hope — an IAEA initiative seeking to increase cancer care access in low- and middle-income countries by helping to introduce and improve radiation medicine capacities and build the cancer care workforce.
In Faisalabad, Mr Grossi visited the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), designating it as an IAEA Collaborating Centre in agriculture and biotechnology. In a special ceremony, Mr Grossi planted a Sago Palm at the site and spoke about the IAEA’s collaboration with the facility in developing climate change resilient cotton varieties. NIAB is also a national laboratory under the IAEA’s ZODIAC initiative for combating zoonotic diseases and future pandemics.
Mr Grossi toured another IAEA Collaborating Centre, the National Institute of Safety and Security, when visiting the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and meeting with its Chairman Faizan Mansoor. He was also honoured to inaugurate the National Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre (NRECC) in Islamabad.
Visiting the headquarters of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Mr Grossi had a meaningful exchange with the Commission on the comprehensive and cohesive nature of the country’s peaceful nuclear programme. Mr Grossi's visit to Pakistan was on the invitation of PAEC Chairman Raja Ali Raza Anwar, whom he thanked for Pakistan's hospitality during the two days. The Director General concluded his visit in Islamabad with a seminar on climate change mitigation, during which he highlighted the role of the IAEA in supporting climate-vulnerable countries in addressing the climate crisis with nuclear science and technology.
https://gallup.com.pk/post/33614
As a developing country, Pakistan has been facing a serious challenge to ensure all children, particularly the most disadvantaged, attend, stay, and learn in school. While enrollment and retention rates are improving, progress has been slow to improve education indicators in Pakistan. Undertaking an analysis of facts and figures available in The Pakistan Statistical Yearbook 2022 published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, this press release provides an overview of the number of students who have appeared for and passed their Matriculation exams by Sex, Subject Groups and Demographics.
Today’s Topic is “Results Statistics by Sex and Groups (Matriculation)”
Key Findings:
1) There has been a 36% decrease in the number of students who appeared for their Matriculation in the Arts Group from 2011 to 2020
2) There has been a 65% increase in the number of students who appeared for their Matriculation in the Science Group from 2011 to 2020
3) 22% more females than males appeared for their Matriculation in the Arts Group in 2020, while the number of students matriculating in Arts subjects has decreased overall in the last decade
4) 57% more males than females appeared for their Matriculation in the Science Group in 2020, while the number of students appearing for their matriculation in the Science subjects has increased overall in the last decade
5) Punjab has faced a 26% decrease in the number of students who did their matriculation in the Arts group in the last decade, while in all the other provinces, the number increased
6) Balochistan has seen a 70% decrease in the number of students who matriculated in the Science group over the last decade, while in all the other provinces, the number has significantly increased
https://www.aku.edu/news/Pages/News_Details.aspx?nid=NEWS-002937
The 8th Annual Surgical Conference in Pakistan aimed to promote collaboration between clinical specialties and basic science by convening experts from academia, research labs, and healthcare organizations worldwide. The conference focused on the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in the field of stem cell research and its implications for surgery, with the aim of fostering innovative solutions for fatal diseases, such as heart diseases, strokes, burns, various cancers, diabetes and more. These are increasingly burdening the healthcare system and economy of Pakistan, and the overall quality of life of Pakistanis.
The chief guest, Prof Atta-ur-Rehman who is a UNESCO Science Laureate and Professor Emeritus, International Centre for Chemical & Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, said: “Sharing ideas is the first step towards innovation, and this conference is an unprecedented move towards encouraging discussions about the challenges associated with the field of stem cell science." Prof Rehman has previously served as Pakistan's Federal Minister of Education and Science and Technology.
50 experts from around the world participated in the discourse, with keynote addresses by Helena Pereira De Melo from Nova School of Law Lisbon, Portugal, Catherine Prescott from Cambridge Network, UK, and Marita Eisemann-Klein from Germany, to name a few.
Distinguished guest speakers, most of whom were invited from outside of Pakistan, delivered talks at the conference. Professor Arnold Richard Kriegstein, from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California and San Francisco (UCSF), commended the Aga Khan University for its pioneering efforts in initiating stem cell research in Pakistan and expressed pride in collaborating with the University to establish the stem cell center at AKU.
Professor Ather Enam, the Scientific Director of AKU's Juma Research Laboratory emphasized the significance of the conference stating that it was a one-of-a-kind event in the University's history that centered around the theme of bringing stem cell research from bench to bedside and into clinical trials. It was a unique opportunity for field experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders to collaborate and build momentum towards this goal.
Dr. Saleem Islam, the Chair of Surgery at AKU, stressed the importance of conducting basic science research in the region, despite the difficulties that come with it. Dr. Islam asserted that the reason AKU and Pakistan pursue this type of research is precisely because it presents a formidable challenge and that they must persevere in their commitment to undertaking challenging work.
In addition to the main conference, a series of pre-conference workshops were conducted to provide researchers with hands-on training and capacity building in stem cell science and biotechnology. The event also provided a platform for young researchers to showcase their work through oral and poster presentations and engage with their peers from around the world, thus fostering the exchange of scientific knowledge and building translational bridges. The conference proceedings are now available as a special supplement in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4445703/
Major research project related to stem cells in Pakistan
Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Science foundation (PSF) has approved many research projects on stem cells recently i.e. Dr. Asmat Salim doing research on “Role of preconditioned and genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells in the regeneration of cardiac tissue” in University of Karachi. Another project by Dr. Fridoon Jawad Ahmad is on “Development of Stem Cell therapy for Patients Suffering from Heart Disease in Pakistan” in King Edward Medical University, Lahore. Ongoing project by PSF is “Preconditioning of the stem and progenitor cells to increase their cardiomyogenic potential” (27). Besides this, there are few other projects which are going on in collaborations with American and European universities and research institutes and Pakistani researchers visit those labs and work there.
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Stem cells research institutes in Pakistan
As stem cells have created a great hype all over the world so stem cells research institutes/centers are also increasing in Pakistan. There is no specific institute or center that is fully dedicated for stem cells research but there are many institutes which have dedicated labs for stem cells research. The major centers in Pakistan that are working in area of stem cells include, Centre of excellence in molecular biology (CEMB), Center for Advanced Molecular Biology (CAMB), Dr. Punjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (University of Karachi), Shahid Zulfiqaar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Quaid-i-Azam University, King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Lahore, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Rawalpindi, Atta ur-Rehman School of Applied Biology (NUST, Islamabad), Agha Khan University (AKU), Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) and School of Biological Sciences (University of the Punjab) etc. There are also some private hospitals which are working in this area and the most famous hospital is National Institute of Blood Disease and Bone Marrow Transplantation (NIBD), Karachi. There is also a private center (CryoCell Pak), collecting and storing umbilical cord blood (UCB) so stem cells from UCB could be used later in life when required (Table 1).
India has overtaken China in terms of the US F-1 student visas issued.
Graduate programs in STEM and business fields at US universities are dominated by Indian and Chinese students.
100,000 Indians and 56,000 Chinese students have been issued US F-1 visa in 2022.
Most Chinese students go back to China while the vast majority of Indian students stay in the US for employment after graduation.
So it makes sense that some of the top Indian students graduating from US universities rise to become CEOs of tech companies.
https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/infosys-founder-nr-narayana-murthy-says-iits-have-become-victims-to-rote-learning-due-to-coaching-classes-article-95545869
As more and more students leave India for higher studies, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy proposed that governments and corporates should “incentivise” researchers with grants and provide facilities to work here. “The 10,000 crore per year grants for universities under the New Education Policy will help institutions become competitive", he said.
https://youtu.be/2vzSwExIoNg
Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy on Tuesday expressed concern over India’s education system saying that even the IITs are becoming a victim of learning by rote due to the “tyranny of coaching classes.” Murthy suggested that our education system needs a reorientation directed towards Socratic questioning.
The Infosys founder, who himself is an IIT alumnus, batted for Socratic questioning in the classroom in order to arrive at solutions to real-world issues. “Many experts feel that (in) our country, (there is an) inability to use research to solve our immediate pressing problems around us… (this) is due to lack of inculcating curiosity at an early age, disconnect between pure or applied research," he said.
As to what could be done to solve this, the 76-year-old suggested that the first component is to reorient teaching in schools and colleges towards Socratic questioning in the classroom to solve real-world problems rather than passing the examinations by rote learning. Socrates was a fifth century (BCE) Greek philosopher credited as the founder of Western philosophy.
Speaking at the 14th edition of the Infosys Prize event in Bengaluru, Murthy said that the nation’s progress on the economic and social front depends on the quality of scientific and technological research. Research thrives in an environment of honour and respect for intellectuals, meritocracy and the support and approbation of such intellectuals from society, he noted.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40228207
The British Council Pakistan announced on Friday the third cohort of Scholarships for Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).
In a press release, it said that over 100 scholarships are available to women STEM scholars from Asia and the Americas to pursue a masters’ degree in the UK, out of which 48 scholarships are reserved for women STEM scholars from Pakistan and other South Asian countries, awarded on a merit basis with no country-specific cap.
The scholarships will help enhance careers in STEM for the selected women scholars and enable them to promote research and innovation in their home country through their exposure to the expertise in the UK’s renowned STEM fields.
“Partnering with 21 universities across the UK, the scholarship scheme will provide scholars a fully-funded master’s degree or an Early Academic Fellowship at a UK university, including covering tuition fees, stipend, travel costs, visa, health coverage fees, special support for mothers and English language support,” it said.
“The scholarships will also provide the scholars a long-lasting platform to connect with the UK through active engagement in the alumni network and inspire the next generation of women in STEM.”
In the last cohort 115 scholars were selected globally which included 15 women scholars from Pakistan, it said.
British Council Pakistan Country Director Amir Ramzan said “UK has a world-renowned higher education sector that is truly international. These scholarships will enable talented women to take up a life-changing opportunity to develop their careers in their chosen STEM fields, and then to harness the experience to make a greater impact for good when they return home.”
Pakistani students receive access to millions of pounds worth of scholarships and bursaries in the UK
https://www.dawn.com/news/1740162
Due to its rich educational history and culture that fosters a global perspective, the UK has become one of the most sought-after destinations for Pakistani students looking to acquire higher education. As of June 2022, the number of student visas issued for Pakistani students has surged to 28,188, marking a significant 95pc increase from the previous year.
A major contributing factor to this trend is the UK’s Graduate Route (GR) programme, which was launched in 2021. This programme allows Pakistani students to kick-start their careers immediately after completing their course, with a two-year upper limit to find employment. Doctoral graduates (PhD) are given an additional year, providing them with a competitive edge in the job market.
Moreover, the UK’s master’s degree programme is another key factor attracting Pakistani students. The programme offers extensive transformational instruction in just 12 months, comprising a combination of classes, projects, studies, and papers. Compared to other countries where the postgraduate programme lasts two years, students in the UK can start working almost a year earlier, giving them a competitive advantage while also being more cost-effective.
As a global hub for education, the UK boasts four universities in the top 10 list of the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2023. Graduates from the UK have access to the best-in-class industry professionals, research facilities, and infrastructure to acquire practical skills, making them highly employable. According to QS Graduate Employability Rankings, UK graduates are the most employable globally. Additionally, according to a Universities UK International (UUKI) report, 83pc of international graduates stated that their UK degree helped them secure a job.
For Pakistani students who cannot afford tuition fees, numerous scholarships and bursaries worth millions of pounds are available, including the Commonwealth Scholarships, Chevening Scholarships, and others. The British Council also provides exceptional scholarships to young, brilliant Pakistanis, such as the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships and GREAT Scholarships, opening up even more opportunities for them.
A UK education prepares young students to become the leaders of tomorrow, researchers who address global challenges, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders of the future. For Pakistani students considering postgraduate education abroad, the UK offers innumerable benefits for their future professional careers.
According to the latest data available from the Canadian government, there were 21,595 international students from Pakistan studying in Canada in 2020. Pakistani students make up one of the largest groups of international students in Canada. It's worth noting that this number may have changed since then, and the actual number may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I do not have access to real-time data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Malaysia. However, according to the Malaysian Ministry of Education, in 2020, there were a total of 19,711 international students from Pakistan studying in Malaysia. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I do not have access to real-time data on the exact number of Pakistani students in the UAE. However, according to the Pakistan embassy in the UAE, there are approximately 1.6 million Pakistanis living and working in the UAE, out of which a significant number may be students. The Pakistani community is one of the largest expatriate communities in the UAE.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Russia. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Russian government's Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, there were 3,500 Pakistani students studying in Russia in 2019. Please note that this number may have changed since then, and the actual number may vary depending on the source of information.
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According to the latest available data from the New Zealand government's Ministry of Education, there were 3,245 international students from Pakistan studying in New Zealand in 2020. Pakistani students make up one of the significant groups of international students in New Zealand. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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According to the latest data available, there were 3,365 Pakistani students studying in Singapore in 2020. This information was provided by the Singapore government's Ministry of Education. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Italy. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Italian government's Ministry of Education, University and Research, there were 3,005 Pakistani students enrolled in Italian universities in the academic year 2019-2020. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Spain. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Spanish government's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, there were 2,643 Pakistani students studying in Spanish universities in the academic year 2019-2020. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Thailand. However, according to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand, there were 2,587 Pakistani students studying in Thailand in 2020. It's worth noting that this number may have changed since then, and the actual number may vary depending on the source of information.
I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Ireland. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Irish government's Higher Education Authority, there were 2,410 Pakistani students enrolled in Irish higher education institutions in the academic year 2019-2020. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Switzerland. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Swiss government's Federal Statistical Office, there were 1,638 Pakistani students enrolled in Swiss universities and other tertiary education institutions in 2019. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Austria. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Austrian government's Ministry of Education, Science, and Research, there were 1,241 international students from Pakistan studying in Austria in the academic year 2019-2020. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
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I'm sorry, but I don't have the latest data on the exact number of Pakistani students in Finland. However, according to the latest available statistics from the Finnish National Agency for Education, there were 387 Pakistani students studying in higher education institutions in Finland in 2019. Please note that this number may have changed since then and may vary depending on the source of information.
According to the latest available data from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, as of 2021, there were approximately 50,000 Pakistani students enrolled in various universities and institutions in Saudi Arabia. This number includes students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs as well as those enrolled in technical and vocational education and training programs. It is worth noting that this number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.
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According to the data provided by the Ministry of Education of Iran, as of 2021, there were approximately 12,000 Pakistani students studying in Iranian universities. This number includes students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs, as well as those enrolled in short-term language courses and other training programs. However, it is worth noting that this number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Iran.
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I'm sorry, but I do not have access to real-time information on the exact number of Pakistani students currently studying in Egypt. However, according to the Embassy of Pakistan in Cairo, as of 2021, there were approximately 6,000 Pakistani students enrolled in various Egyptian universities. This number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Egypt.
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I'm sorry, but I do not have access to real-time information on the exact number of Pakistani students currently studying in Turkey. However, according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, as of 2020, there were around 4,200 Pakistani students studying in various universities across Turkey. This number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Turkey.
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I'm sorry, but I do not have access to real-time information on the exact number of Pakistani students currently studying in Iraq. However, according to the Embassy of Pakistan in Baghdad, as of 2020, there were around 2,000 Pakistani students enrolled in various Iraqi universities. This number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Iraq.
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I do not have access to real-time information on the exact number of Pakistani students currently studying in Poland. However, according to the data of the Polish Embassy in Islamabad, as of 2021, there were approximately 1,000 Pakistani students studying in Poland. It is worth noting that this number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant authorities or organizations in Pakistan or Poland.
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I'm sorry, but I do not have access to real-time information on the exact number of Pakistani students currently studying in South Africa. However, according to the High Commission of Pakistan in Pretoria, as of 2020, there were approximately 1,200 Pakistani students studying in various universities across South Africa. This number may have changed since then, and for the most up-to-date information, it would be best to contact the relevant auth
The recently released All India Survey on Higher Education 2020–21 shows some contrasting trends. On the one hand, enrollment of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs in higher education has increased by 4.2 per cent, 11.9 per cent and 4 per cent respectively compared to 2019-20. The upper castes, whose share in enrollment had been declining with the implementation of Mandal II since the late 2000s but who have come back with the highest growth rate of 13.6 per cent. On the other hand, the enrollment of Muslim students dropped by 8 per cent from 2019-20 – that is, by 1,79,147 students. This level of absolute decline has never happened in the recent past for any group.
UP accounts for 36 per cent of that total decline followed by Jammu and Kashmir, which accounts for 26 per cent, then Maharashtra (8.5 per cent), Tamil Nadu (8.1 per cent), Gujarat (6.1 per cent), Bihar (5.7 per cent) and Karnataka (3.7 per cent). Except in Tamil Nadu, Muslims alone witnessed an absolute decline in their enrollment. While the states that have a larger share of the Muslim population account for the higher share of decline, small states too show similar trends. For instance, between 2019-20 — 2020-21, Delhi lost about 20 per cent of its Muslim students while J&K lost about 36 per cent.
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AISHE 2020-21: Enrolment of Muslim students for higher education decreases to 4.6%
The Education Ministry data showed that the number of Muslim students decreased to 19.21 lakh in 2020-21 from 21 lakh in 2019-20.
https://indianexpress.com/article/education/enrolment-of-muslim-students-for-higher-education-dips-to-4-6-aishe-2020-21-8413124/
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Professor Sukhdeo Thorat, emeritus professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawahar Lal Nehru University and former chairman, University Grants Commission(UGC) said that financially weak Muslims may go for higher studies if they are helped through scholarships.
Speaking on a lecture ‘Where do the Muslims lag behind in higher education?: Lessons for policies’ on the occasion of the 25th Foundation Day of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Manuu), Thorat said, “There are internal disparities among Muslims in attainment of higher education based on income level, gender and medium of education and institutions like Manuu must give preference to such groups through scholarships, differential fee structure, hostel facility and remedial coaching classes.”
He reiterated that Muslims have the lowest Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at 16.6% in higher education among all the communities in the country (national average is 26.3%). He also pointed out that Muslim students depend highly on government institutions (54.1%) as compared to other communities (national average 45.2%) and only 18.2% Muslim students go to private aided higher education institutions and 27.4% go to private unaided higher education institutions against a national average of 24.4% and 30.1%, respectively.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/muslims-have-lowest-ger-in-higher-education/articleshow/88808430.cms
https://www.globalvillagespace.com/google-and-pakistan-collaborate-to-drive-it-education-45000-scholarships-announced/
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Aminul Haq, announced a groundbreaking agreement with Google during the Startups for Industries and IT Exports conference held at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). The agreement entails 45,000 scholarships to be provided by Google, with the aim of increasing the number to 450,000 in the following year. Notably, at least 40 percent of these scholarships will be reserved for women. This initiative marks a significant step forward in promoting IT education and fostering the growth of Pakistan’s digital industry.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
The collaboration between Pakistan and Google sets out to address the pressing need for skilled IT professionals in the country. The allocation of 45,000 scholarships signifies a remarkable increase from the previous year’s 15,000 scholarships. By targeting women, the government aims to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry, empowering more female individuals to pursue careers in IT. This initiative recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in driving innovation and technological advancements.
Empowering the IT Industry
Minister Aminul Haq emphasised the government’s commitment to the growth of the IT sector by announcing the construction of a dedicated building at NED University, with an investment of $1.6 million. The facility will serve as a hub for gaming and animation, nurturing local talent and further propelling the industry forward. These efforts align with the government’s vision of promoting startups, gaming, and animation within the country, leading to increased employment opportunities and economic growth.
Supporting Startups and Innovation
The conference brought together industry experts, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to discuss the importance of startups and innovation in the IT sector. Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan highlighted the crucial role that research and development play in driving industry growth. He also emphasised that startups today no longer require massive investments, thanks to the conducive environment and government support. With the increase in the number of incubation centres from five to eight in just three years, Pakistan is nurturing a vibrant ecosystem for startups to thrive.
Boosting IT Exports
Deputy Patron of KATI, Zubair Chhaya, lauded the efforts of Minister Aminul Haq, acknowledging the significant growth in Pakistan’s IT exports. From a modest $1 billion in exports, the sector has witnessed a remarkable surge to $2.6 billion at the end of the last financial year. This growth places Pakistan on a promising trajectory, showcasing its potential to compete with neighbouring countries. To further bolster the IT industry, Nighat Awan, the Senior Vice President of KATI, called for the abolishment of duties on machinery and IT-related products, fostering an environment conducive to expansion and innovation.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2420080/us-envoy-emphasises-commitment-to-bolster-healthcare-and-education-initiatives-in-pakistan
US DCM Andrew Schofer also met the 24 students and the teachers who will go to the NASA Space Camp this summer through a US government grant to the Dawood Foundation (TDF).
TDF received a $250,000 US Consulate Karachi-funded grant to promote STEM education in low-income and underserved schools. Through this grant, 100 teachers from 50 schools were trained in teaching STEM education and 1,200 students from these schools visited the MagnifiScience Centre to encourage interest in STEM education and careers.
A STEM competition was held among the participating schools, through which students from the top three winning schools will participate in NASA’s Space Camp in the United States this summer.
To emphasise the US government’s commitment to education, DCM Schofer gave remarks at the closing ceremony of the US government-sponsored Karachi English Works! Programme.
English Works! provides bright, economically disadvantaged students with an opportunity to develop English language proficiency and 21st-century employability skills.
https://indianexpress.com/article/education/enrolment-of-muslim-students-for-higher-education-dips-to-4-6-aishe-2020-21-8413124/
AISHE 2020-21: Enrolment of Muslim students for higher education decreases to 4.6%
The Education Ministry data showed that the number of Muslim students decreased to 19.21 lakh in 2020-21 from 21 lakh in 2019-20.
The number of Muslim students enrolling for higher education in India has dropped in the 2020-21 academic year compared to the previous year, according to a report by the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21.
https://thedailyguardian.com/why-are-muslims-missing-from-higher-education/
The latest edition of the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE), as published by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, reports that the number of Muslims in higher education declined from 21.01 Lakh in 2019-20 to 19.22 Lakh in 2020-21. Thus 1.79 Lakh Muslim students are missing from the higher education system of the country. As a result, the share of Muslim students in higher education has come down from 5.45% to 4.64% during the corresponding period.
This is when the total enrolment in higher education in India has gone up from 3.85 crore to 4.14 crore during the same period. This is also when, the enrolment of all other social groups – the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) has gone up. The only groups that have seen a decline are Persons with Disabilities, Muslims and Other Minorities.
Disquietingly, the share of Muslim students has declined across all higher educational institutions: central universities, from 8.41 to 8.24%; institutions of national importance, 1.92 to 1.87%; public-funded state universities, 5.29 to 4.30%; self-financed private universities, 4.25 to 3.87%; government deems universities, 1.10 to 1.03%; government-aided deemed universities, 14.55 to 11.84%; self-financed private deemed universities, 3.47 to 3.04%; colleges of central universities, 4.68 to 3.58%; and colleges of state universities from 6.05 to 5.09%.
What is all the more perturbing is the fact that Muslim enrolment in higher education has declined in 22 out of 36 states and Union Territories. In absolute numbers, the decline has been in UP (58,365), Jammu & Kashmir (47,334), Maharashtra (15,424), Tamil Nadu (14,593), Gujarat (10,909), Bihar (10,208), Andhra Pradesh (9,644), Jharkhand (9,263), Karnataka (6,153), Assam (5, 424), Delhi (5,271), Madhya Pradesh (2,862), Haryana (2,432), Manipur (2,049), Odisha (1,359), Rajasthan (1,193), Puducherry (785), Tripura (768), Chhattisgarh (691) and Himachal Pradesh (588), Arunachal Pradesh (57) and Meghalaya (16).
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1894517
Enrollment in higher education increases to 4.14 crore (41.4 million), crossing the 4 crore mark (40 million) for first time; increase of 7.5% from 2019-20 and 21% from 2014-15
Female enrollment reaches 2 crore mark, increase of 13 Lakh from 2019-20
Significant increase of 28% in enrolment of SC students and 38% in enrolment of Female SC Students in 2020-21, compared to 2014-15.
Substantial increase of 47% in enrolment of ST students and 63.4% increase in the enrolment of Female ST Students in 2020-21, compared to 2014-15.
Significant increase of 32% in OBC Student enrolment and 39% in Female OBC Students, since 2014-15.
Notable increase of 29% in Student Enrolment and 34% in Female Student Enrolment in the North Eastern Region in 2020-21 since 2014-15.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) has improved from previous year for all social groups
Enrollment in Distance Education has increased by 7% in 2020-21 from 2019-20
Number of Universities has increased by 70, number of Colleges has increased by 1,453, in 2020-21 over 2019-20
Gender Parity Index (GPI) has increased from 1 in 2017-18 to 1.05 in 2020-21
Total number of faculty/teachers increases by 47,914 from 2019-20
Posted On: 29 JAN 2023 7:20PM by PIB Delhi
However the rate of growth over the last 5 years in higher education enrollment in Pakistan (12% since 2019-20, 134% since 2014-15) is much faster than in India (7.5% since 2019-20, 21% since 2014-15).
Sources: AISHI India and HEC Pakistan
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1894517#:~:text=Since%202014%2D15%2C%20there%20has,1.88%20crore%20in%202019%2D20.
https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/universities/hes/Pages/HEDR-Statistics.aspx
https://www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2022/4/12/indias-higher-education-landscape#:~:text=One%20metric%20of%20note%20is,achieving%2032%20percent%20by%202022.
India’s higher education landscape is a mix of progress and challenges. Its scope is vast: 1,043 universities, 42,343 colleges, and 11,779 stand-alone institutions make it one of the largest higher education sectors in the world, according to the latest (2019–20) All India Survey of Higher Education Report (AISHE 2019–20).
The number of institutions has expanded by more than 400 percent since 2001, with much of the growth taking place in the private education sector, according to a major 2019 report from the Brookings Institution, Reviving Higher Education in India. This growth continued through 2019–20, according to the 2019–20 AISHE report.
Capacity is growing rapidly to serve India’s large youth population and burgeoning college-aged cohort. One metric of note is gross enrollment ratio (GER), which measures total enrollment in education as a percentage of the eligible school-aged population. India’s GER of 27.1 percent in 2019–20 seems poised to fall below the Ministry of Education’s target of achieving 32 percent by 2022. It is also significantly behind China’s 51 percent and much of Europe and North America, where 80 percent or more of young people enroll in higher education, according to Philip Altbach, a research professor at Boston College and founding director of the Center for International Higher Education.
The number of institutions has expanded by more than 400 percent since 2001. ...Capacity is growing rapidly to serve India’s large youth population and burgeoning college-aged cohort.
India has produced many noteworthy higher education institutions, including those specializing in sciences and business, though none of them take the top spots in global rankings. Its highest-ranked institution, the Indian Institute of Science, was in the 301–350 range among institutions worldwide in 2022, according to the Times Higher Education 2022 World University Rankings. China, by contrast, has 16 institutions in the top 350, including six ranked in the top 100 and two in the top 20. However, much is different about India—its central government is less efficient and empowered, there’s enormous variation between India’s 36 states and territories, there’s less affluence, and the country has a democratic political system.
Across India, there is an enormous variation in quality institutions between states. For instance, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework of India 2021, the best colleges in the country are concentrated in 9 of India’s 28 states: Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal. The colleges in these states are all in the ranking’s top 100 institutions, notes Eldho Mathews, deputy advisor at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration. In states with fewer resources, offering quality education is more of a challenge.
Other difficulties that hobble the sector include lack of sufficient funding at both the national and state levels; inefficient structure; massive bureaucracy; and corruption. An additional, formidable hurdle is to bridge the gap between graduates and jobs, as many employers have doubts about the quality of Indian graduates’ skills. In a recent survey by Wheelbox, Taggd, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, respondents rated graduates of higher education institutions below a 50 percent employability level, according to the resulting Indian Skills Report.
National University- FAST. ...
National University of Science and Technology. ...
Quaid-e-Azam University. ...
COMSATS. ...
Lahore University of Management Sciences. ...
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences. ...
University of Karachi. ...
Air University.
https://academiamag.com/best-universities-for-artificial-intelligence-in-pakistan/
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
Contributor
Amir Husain is the Founder & CEO of the global AI company, SparkCognition, and the CEO of SkyGrid.
Zaib and I just concluded a fascinating visit to Lahore, Pakistan. We were joined on this trip by Prof. Bruce Porter, former Chairman of UT Austin Computer Science and Chief Science Officer of SparkCognition, along with colleagues from SparkCognition, SkyGrid, and Navigate.
Lahore is an ancient and vibrant city, once one of the largest manufacturing centers of mechanical computers, called Astrolabes. Built by Muhammad Muqim and his family in the 16th century, these computers came hundreds of years before the Jacquard Loom or Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. The city is now busily reinventing itself as a modern hub for entrepreneurship and academia. Our journey unveiled numerous innovative startups, cutting-edge research projects, and the thriving connections between the city’s entrepreneurial and educational ecosystems.
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Our first public event was at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), a prestigious institution renowned for its research and entrepreneurial spirit. Prof. Porter and I had the opportunity to deliver talks on entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence (AI) to an enthusiastic audience of students and faculty members.
Prof. Porter's talk focused on the three generations of AI, tracing its development from search algorithms to expert systems and the Generative AI explosion. The lecture provided insights into AI's potential to transform industries and our daily lives.
After the talks, we connected with professors and students, learning about their innovative startups and groundbreaking research projects. It was inspiring to see the passion and drive on display at LUMS.
IoT, EVs, and Quantum, Oh My!
We encountered three standout teams pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. The first was the quantum computing group at LUMS which has developed and indigenously built an experimental quantum information processor. I was told by Dean Anwar of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) that this device has two entangled physical qubits based on single photons from a heralded source. This effort lands LUMS on a short list of global quantum computing research organizations. Applications of quantum computing may eventually revolutionize materials science and much more. It was quite impressive to see a cutting-edge effort like this underway at the school.
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
Another intriguing venture spun off from LUMS is a startup that develops affordable three-wheel electric vehicles (EVs). As the world increasingly turns to sustainable transport solutions, this company aims to cater to the growing demand for cost-effective EVs in Pakistan and beyond.
The third group is running an agri-tech research initiative that combines AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to control large-scale agricultural processes autonomously. The project seeks to optimize variables such as fertilizer, water, and pesticide, and monitor plant health, thereby increasing productivity in the farming sector.
Technologies such as these can lift the local economy, increase global collaboration, and scale exports.
Aitchison College
Our next stop was my old alma mater, Aitchison College, a prestigious K-12 school founded in 1885. Boasting one of the world's most beautiful campuses on a sprawling 200 acres of land, the school has evolved from an elite institution to offering full-ride scholarships for applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Michael Thomson, the Principal of Aitchison College, and his lovely wife, Elizabeth, gave us a tour of the school's museum, the impressive chemistry labs, and the nearly complete Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Biotech building. This new facility will be a massive asset for Aitchison and the student community, bringing research and entrepreneurship to the high school level.
One of the most inspiring stories we heard was that of a young graduate from the tribal belt along the Afghan border in North Waziristan. Upon meeting this impressive young gentleman, we learned that after receiving a full scholarship at Aitchison, he is now heading to Dartmouth for higher studies – a transformative opportunity for him, his family, and his village.
Entrepreneurs in Lahore
During our trip, we interacted with numerous entrepreneurs who have contributed significantly to Lahore's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Among them was the legendary Syed Babar Ali, founder of LUMS and Chairman of Packages Ltd. Babar Ali is one of the most admired Pakistanis globally. In his long list of laurels is his dedication to environmental conservation and a term as the President of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), which he took over from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1996. His contributions to industry and education are immeasurable. At the young age of 97, he continues to work from his office daily, maintaining a hectic and full schedule. His unwavering dedication and passion are truly inspiring.
We also met Aezaz Hussain, the founder of Systems Ltd., Pakistan's oldest software company. Mr. Hussain has led his company with great poise for over forty years. He has now expanded his enterprise globally through a network of affiliated companies. The Systems Ltd. network encompasses businesses in the UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia, India, Europe, and the US. With around 10,000 employees, Systems is experiencing rapid growth and solidifying Pakistan's position in the global software industry.
Nabeel Ahmed, the founder of Core9, a new AI services company focused on industrial applications and a SparkCognition partner, took us on a tour of the Sundar Industrial Estate. Here, we learned about the nearly 650 manufacturing companies based in the park, spanning industries such as pharma, textiles, TVs, and chemicals. Meeting one of the newest SparkCognition clients, a multinational chemical manufacturer also located within the Sundar Industrial Estate, was exciting and inspiring.
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
The Lahore-based team at FiveRivers Technologies has been a tremendous partner for SparkCognition. But FiveRivers also impressed us by showcasing a suite of their domestically built software products gaining traction in international markets. Their SmartWindows application is one such example. The application enhances productivity for power users by supercharging window and state management on PCs. It’s quickly gaining users worldwide.
Later that night, at a wonderful ecosystem dinner organized by Usman Malik of power company, PITCO and Mahmud Hiraj of private equity firm, Baltoro Capital, we met many other members of the innovation ecosystem in Lahore. Usman heads the power plant design arm of PITCO, which traces its origins back to 1938. Mahmud is a founding partner at Baltoro Capital, a leading private equity firm in Pakistan. Mahmud moved back to Lahore after spending 15 years in the finance industry in North America. His fund, Baltoro, is Pakistan-focused and capitalizes on the country’s growing consumer market and rising export competitiveness.
Export is a key area of focus for many Pakistani entrepreneurs, particularly those building high-tech products. One of the guests at the ecosystem dinner was Salem Rehman of EMCO Industries. EMCO is Pakistan's premier manufacturer of high-voltage products for the electric grid. His company has a long history of catering to the domestic and regional markets but has now also started exporting to the United States.
Wrapping up
Our trip to Lahore allowed us to witness firsthand the energy and drive of Lahore’s entrepreneurs. The city is full of innovative startups, research projects, and academies focused on scientific development. This varied and fast-growing ecosystem is a testament to Lahore's immense potential and creativity.
As we continue our work in Austin, build new relationships in Munich, and explore partnerships in Lahore, we hope to contribute to the growth of entrepreneurial communities in all these innovation centers. By fostering connections between these vibrant cities, we can nurture AI and broader S&T collaborations that have the potential to change the world. The unyielding passion of the people we met makes us optimistic about the future of Lahore, of Pakistan, and indeed, of the world.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02100-y
Two of the passengers who died when the Titansubmersible imploded on its way to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic belonged to a family that are prominent philanthropic funders of science in Pakistan.
Shahzada Dawood, and his son, Suleman Dawood, were part of the Dawood Foundation, which set up a university, girls’ school and museum, all with major focuses on science.
“The tragic loss of father and son is, first and foremost, a human tragedy and a tragedy for the family,” says environmental scientist Adil Najam, who also studies philanthropic giving in Pakistan. “We have also lost someone with a real, personal and abiding interest in science. It is a tremendous loss of a champion for science.”
“This is a huge tragedy for Pakistan,” adds Atta-ur-Rahman, a chemist at the University of Karachi and a former minister for science. “The [Dawood] family has made enormous contributions to education and science during the last five or six decades.”
The Dawood family’s foundation established the Dawood University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi; the Karachi School of Business and Leadership; the MagnifiScience Centre, Pakistan's first contemporary science museum also in Karachi. Dawood public school provides high quality science education for girls, Najam says.
Members of the Dawood family posted a statement to the foundation website about the deaths of Shahzada and Suleman. “We are truly grateful to all those involved in the rescue operations. The immense love and support we receive continues to help us endure this unimagineable loss.” The statement also said: “At this time, we are unable to receive calls and request that support, condolences and prayers be messaged instead.”
Both Rahman and physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy of the Black Hole Institute, a science and cultural centre in Islamabad, say that the Dawood Foundation is a rare example of much-needed science-philanthropy. Many young people are trying to leave Pakistan because of an economic crisis and a lack of opportunities. Around 800,000 people left in 2022 to seek work abroad. Between 400 and 750 people from Pakistan, as well as Egypt and Syria died last week when a boat capsized off the Mediterranean Sea on its way from Libya to Europe, according to media reports.
The Dawood family foundation has tried to address these problems by creating opportunities for science education. Rahman adds that there is much more that needs to be done. “We need to rethink our national policies, so that we can use this huge pool of talent for our own socio-economic development,” he says.
https://home.cern/news/press-release/cern/three-teams-secondary-school-pupils-netherlands-pakistan-and-usa-win-10th
Geneva and Hamburg, 28 June 2023. In 2023, for the second time in the history of the Beamline for Schools competition, the evaluation committee selected three winning teams. The team “Myriad Magnets” from the Philips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, United States, and the team “Particular Perspective”, which brings together pupils from the Islamabad College for Boys, the Supernova School in Islamabad, the Cadet College in Hasanabdal, the Siddeeq Public School in Rawalpindi and the Cedar College in Karachi, Pakistan, will travel to CERN, Geneva, in September 2023 to perform the experiments that they proposed. The team “Wire Wizards” from the Augustinianum school in Eindhoven, Netherlands, will be hosted at DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg, Germany) to carry out its experiment.
Beamline for Schools (BL4S) is a physics competition open to secondary school pupils from all around the world. The participants are invited to prepare a proposal for a physics experiment that can be undertaken at the beamline of a particle accelerator. A beamline is a facility that provides high-energy fluxes of subatomic particles that can be used to conduct experiments in different fields, including fundamental physics, material science and medicine.
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“Congratulations to this year’s winners – may they have good beams, collect interesting data and generally have the time of their lives,” says Christoph Rembser, a CERN physicist at the ATLAS experiment and one of the founders of Beamline for Schools. “Every year I am astonished by how many young people submit very creative, interesting proposals. In 2014, we weren’t sure at all whether this competition would work. Ten years and 16 000 participants later, I am proud to say that it is obviously a resounding success.”
The fruitful collaboration between CERN and DESY started in 2019 during the shutdown period of the CERN accelerators. This year, the German laboratory will host its fifth team of winners.
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The Pakistan team “Particular Perspective” will measure in detail the beam composition of the T10 beamline of the CERN Proton Synchrotron accelerator. The experiment set-up they designed will make it possible to differentiate between different particle species and measure their intensity.
“I am grateful to BL4S for having provided me with an opportunity to represent my country, Pakistan, and its budding community of aspiring physicists. This is a chance for us to experience physics at the highest level and will inspire people with interests similar to ours to reach greater heights,” says Muhammad Salman Tarar from the “Particular Perspective” team.
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The “Wire Wizards” team’s experiment focuses on detector development. The Dutch students designed and built a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC), a gas detector able to measure the position of a particle interacting with it, and they plan to characterise it using the electron beam available at DESY.
“The BL4S competition provides us with a unique educational experience that will be a highlight in our time as students,” says Leon Verreijt from the “Wire Wizards” team.
The winners have been selected by a committee of CERN and DESY scientists from a shortlist of 27 particularly promising experiments. All the teams in the shortlist will be awarded special prizes. In addition, one team will be recognised for the most creative video and 10 teams for the quality of physics outreach activities they are organising in their local communities, taking advantage of the knowledge gained by taking part in BL4S.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2426811/24-pakistani-students-from-karachi-participate-in-us-space-camp
Thanks to a US government-funded grant, 24 Pakistani students, both male and female, from three schools in Karachi are currently taking part in the US Space and Rocket Center's prestigious Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.
This initiative aims to promote and expand Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Karachi schools. The US Consulate General in Karachi collaborated with The Dawood Foundation's (TDF) MagnifiScience Centre, the implementing partner, to facilitate this programme in 50 schools across the city.
The US grant encompassed three key components: STEM training for 100 Pakistani teachers, educational field trips for over 1,000 students to the MagnifiScience Centre, and a culminating science project competition.
The primary objective of this grant was to stimulate an increase in STEM education and encourage schools in Karachi to allocate more resources toward training their staff, thereby enhancing learning outcomes. The aim is to motivate students to pursue careers in science-related fields, meeting the growing demand for STEM graduates in industry, academia, and research.
The United States has consistently shown commitment to supporting STEM education in Pakistan through various educational programmes. This includes previous initiatives such as sending cohorts of Pakistani students to Space Camp in 2011 and 2015. The United States emphasises inclusive STEM education, green technologies, and entrepreneurship for young individuals worldwide, as a means to foster sustainable economic growth within their own countries.
The primary objective of this grant was to stimulate an increase in STEM education and encourage schools in Karachi to allocate more resources toward training their staff, thereby enhancing learning outcomes. The aim is to motivate students to pursue careers in science-related fields, meeting the growing demand for STEM graduates in industry, academia, and research.
The United States has consistently shown commitment to supporting STEM education in Pakistan through various educational programmes. This includes previous initiatives such as sending cohorts of Pakistani students to Space Camp in 2011 and 2015. The United States emphasises inclusive STEM education, green technologies, and entrepreneurship for young individuals worldwide, as a means to foster sustainable economic growth within their own countries.
The inter-school competition revolved around the theme of eco-sustainability and entrepreneurship. Each competing team was provided with science kits as a resource. A panel of judges selected eight students and one teacher from three schools based on their outstanding projects. These three winning teams, consisting of 24 students and their three teachers, recently traveled to Huntsville, Alabama to participate in Space Camp. The winning science projects demonstrated the remarkable results achieved through collaborative efforts, brainstorming, and cooperation among team members.
The winning projects and teams are as follows:
KMA Girls & Boys Primary School's team: "Chicken Feathers - Go Green before the Green Goes." The project involved using chicken feathers to create paper.
Evergreen Elementary School's team: "Anti-Sleep Glasses." Their project focused on developing glasses with a built-in alarm to reduce vehicle accidents caused by driver fatigue.
KMA Boys Secondary School's team: "Plastic Road." This project explored the use of waste plastic to create roads with a lifespan of 50+ years.
https://thepienews.com/news/interest-european-studies-shift-stem/
https://studyportals.typeform.com/to/PkDRfZl8/
Students from Pakistan and Bangladesh are driving interest in education across continental Europe – a region that is maintaining a “strong appeal” for international students – but government policy, among other factors, may be impacting students’ choices, according to new research.
“Although India generates the largest share of relative demand [at bachelor’s level], this fluctuates drastically and has gradually declined overall,” the report noted. “Conversely, you can see that Bangladesh and Pakistan have increased their share of the interest.”
The research tracks a similar trend in master’s, with India showing a “general decline in interest year-on-year”, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, alongside students in Turkey and Iran, showing “strong demand to study master’s programs”.
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Additionally, program preference is shifting towards artificial intelligence, data science & big data, business intelligence & analytics, entrepreneurship and engineering management.
Analysing data collected in the year up to May 2023, the Studyportals Destination Europe report delves into trends in master’s and bachelor’s programs, as well as taking a closer look at the business and management discipline – which the paper noted as most popular for international students in general.
One in five students looking to study in Europe are interested in the discipline, the company noted.
While Germany “holds significant global market share of student interest”, the analysis found a “drop in relative demand” for its programs, while Norway had seen the “largest decline” in relative demand. The drop is likely influenced by the introduction of tuition fees, the paper said.
At the other end of the spectrum, Italy is continuing to grow in its popularity among international students, at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1766451
By Umair Javed
The cultural indicators are about how people understand the world around them and the degree to which they are engaged with it. The first of these relates to consumption of information, especially among young people, who constitute a majority in the country. For this, we can turn to Table 40 of the last census, which reports that 60 per cent of households rely on TV and 97pc rely on mobile phones for basic information. The corresponding figures in 1998 were 7pc and 0pc respectively.
What this overwhelmingly young population is watching on TV or through their mobiles is something that we can never completely know. But what is clear is that a lot of information is being accessed, and a lot of ideas — about politics, about religious beliefs, and about the rest of the world — are circulating. Controlling or regulating this flow is an impossibility. Will it lead to an angrier population or a more passive one? A more conservative one or one with some transgressive tendencies? So far, the outcome leans more towards anger and conservatism.
Another slow but steady sociocultural transformation is the vanishing gender gap in higher education. Men and women between the ages of 20 and 35 have university degrees at roughly the same rate (about 11pc). Between 20 and 30, a slightly higher percentage of women have a college degree compared to men. And just two decades ago, women’s higher education attainment in the same 20 to 35 age bracket was 3pc lower than men. This gap has been covered and there are strong signs that it will reverse in the other direction as male educational attainment stagnates.
What does a more educated female population mean for societal functioning? Will these capabilities threaten male honour (and patriarchy) in different ways? Will there be new types of gender politics and conflicts? And will the levee finally break in terms of the barriers that continue to prevent women from gaining dignified remunerated work? As in other unequal countries, Pakistani men hold a monopoly over economic benefits and public space. And they are unlikely to give these privileges up passively.
In the socioeconomic domain, there are also two things worth highlighting. The first is urban migration, not just in large metropolitan centres, but in smaller second- and third-tier cities as well. Fragmenting land holdings and climate change are compelling young men in particular to move to cities in large numbers. A 10-acre farm inherited by five brothers will lead to at least three seeking work outside of agriculture.
The official urbanisation rate may be at around 38pc but this is a significant underestimate. Many villages are now small towns, and small towns are now nothing less than large urban agglomerations. The perimeters of these urban areas are dotted with dense informal settlements that provide shelter — often the only type available — for working-class migrants.
Finally, the last trend is employment status in the labour force. In the last 20 years, the percentage of people earning a living through a daily/weekly/monthly wage (as opposed to being a self-cultivator, self-employed, or running a small business) has increased by 10pc. Much of this increase is taking place in the informal economy and that too in the services sector.
Starting your own business, however small, requires money, which most do not have. Getting higher-paying, formal-sector jobs first requires getting credentials and training, which again is beyond the budget of most. Large swathes of the working population will grind out a living by taking care of the needs of the better off — fixing their cars, cleaning their houses, serving them food. Given the condition of the economy, this trend is unlikely to change.
23 new universities in Pakistan’s public and private sector voted on by National Assembly
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1094931-na-passes-26-bills-to-set-up-new-universities-institutes-amid-criticism-about-quality-education
The Metropolitan International Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2023, The Askari Institute of Higher Education Bill 2023, The Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill, 2021, Federal Ziauddin University Bill, 2023”, The Indus University of Science and Technology Bill, 2022, The Institute of Management and Technology Bill, 2023, The Pak China, Gwadar University, Lahore Bill, 2023, The Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill, 2023, The University of Shaheed Benzair Bhutto Bill, 2023, The Institute of Health and Professional Studies Bill, 2023, The Sheikhupura Institute of Advance Sciences Bill, 2023, The Cosmic Institute of Science and Technologies Islamabad Bill, 2023, The Bulleh Shah International University Bill, 2023, The Ravi Institute Bill, 2023, The International Islamic Institute for Peace Bill, 2023, The Shah Bano Institute Jaranwala Bill, 2023, The International Memon University Bill, 2023, The Ume Abeeha Institute of Health Sciences Bill, 2023, The Mufti-e-Azam Islamic University Bill, 2023, The Kalam Bibi International Women Institute Bannu (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Islamabad International University, 2023, The Pakistan Points of Entry (Public Health) Bill, 2023, The Islamabad Institute of Modern Sciences Bill, 2023, The Al-Biruni International University Bill, 2023, The National University of Health Emerging Sciences and Technologies, Islamabad Bill, 2023, The National Institute of Technology Bill, 2023, The Pakistan Institute of Management, Sciences and Technology Bill, 2023 and The Horizon University Bill, 2023.
The survey further indicates there were approximately 500,000 students enrolled in technical & vocational education, approximately 760,000 in degree-awarding colleges, and 1.96 million students in universities in 2020-21.Nov 10, 2022
https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/pakistan-education#:~:text=The%20survey%20further%20indicates%20there,in%20universities%20in%202020%2D21.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1095301-pakistan-among-top-4-countries-in-stem-enrolment
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Pakistan ranks 92 out of 100 countries in the Global Skills Report 2023 published earlier this month by Coursera — a US-based massive open online course provider — in terms of skills proficiency. This is a significant decline for the country which ranked 64th in skills proficiency in 2022.
For business skills, Pakistan has a score of 22 per cent (a sharp decline from its previous score of 50 per cent). For technology skills, Pakistan has obtained a score of 10 per cent, a dip from the previous 51 per cent. For data science skills, the country’s score is 8.0 per cent. All scores are ranked against the average regional scores of 41 per cent (business), 49 per cent (technology), and 52 per cent (data science).
In his comment to The News, Co-founder of Data Darbar Mutaher Khan expresses that “Coursera’s overall ranking and the performance on three tracks [business, technology, and data science] should be taken with a pinch of salt in my view. Because the difference in results compared to previous editions is too big, which raises questions about the sampling.”
Focusing on Pakistan’s significant drop, he says, “now it is difficult to say what the reasons are, but one guess could be that Pakistanis signed up for Coursera courses in droves this year, many of whom possibly were just testing it out and did not necessarily pay too much attention to the assessments.”
He believes it is “hard to argue that in one year, Pakistani human capital’s skills slipped by 28 points. And it is not just about relative rank: the deterioration is visible in absolute percentages for each track. This is not to say Pakistani talent is great or should be among the top countries in terms of skills.”
Even though Pakistan’s global ranking is dismal, it has shown a 79 per cent year-on-year growth in enrolment, becoming the fourth country globally (out of 100) with the highest STEM enrolments. Enrolment count from Pakistan stands at 642,562 – behind Nigeria (675,371), the US (4,639,771) and India (6,000,967).
Speaking to The News, Deputy Chief of USAID Higher Education System Strengthening Activity Dr Ayesha Razzaque, discusses the reasons behind the shift towards distant learning among Pakistanis, “skills are the new currency in the job market. [In Pakistan], four-year curricula are neither updated frequently enough nor corresponding degrees/transcripts do a good job of communicating what the graduate is able to do.”
She adds that across the world, “there is a shift towards acquiring micro-credentials instead on top of an undergraduate degree. So, instead of enrolling in a long-term programme, one could enroll in a shorter certificate program and get only the necessary skills. Our universities will eventually need to catch up too.”
When asked what the government and the private sector can do to improve the situation, Mutaher says: “there are a couple of things the government at least seems to be doing. For example, the HEC has a partnership programme with Coursera, which is a great step. Similarly, it recently earmarked Rs2 billion in the budget for specialized IT trainings.”
June 14, 2023
https://blog.coursera.org/announcing-the-coursera-global-skills-report-2023/
Rising demand for STEM education and industry micro-credentials for digital jobs. STEM course demand has increased to 23.6 million annual enrollments globally as of March 31, 2023. An increase of 1.8 million from the previous year, with women accounting for 35% of enrollments. Entry-level Professional Certificate enrollments grew to 3.4 million globally, up 61% year-over-year, with STEM certificates amassing 2.3 million enrollments, up 47% year-over-year. Low-income countries and regions have the greatest enrollment growth in entry-level Professional Certificates, including the Philippines (253% increase), Brazil (231%), Pakistan (228%), Indonesia (176%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (80%).
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By Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO
Digital transformation, automation, and globalization are reshaping the labor market and creating an unprecedented need for reskilling and upskilling worldwide. The rise of generative AI further accelerates new workforce imperatives as businesses embrace the transformative power of this technology.
Every year, we do a deep dive into various countries to unlock and understand the skills trends that are shaping the global workforce. Today, I’m pleased to introduce our fifth annual Global Skills Report, which draws on data from millions of learners on Coursera to help leaders in business, government, and higher education understand the rapidly changing skills landscape and the availability of skilled talent worldwide.
Emerging talent and technology hubs are redefining the idea of a globalized workforce, with in-demand skills becoming more distributed. The global rise in enrollments for industry micro-credentials corresponds with the simultaneous rise of remote work, bringing with it unprecedented career opportunities for people around the globe.
Key global findings:
Rising demand for STEM education and industry micro-credentials for digital jobs. STEM course demand has increased to 23.6 million annual enrollments globally as of March 31, 2023. An increase of 1.8 million from the previous year, with women accounting for 35% of enrollments. Entry-level Professional Certificate enrollments grew to 3.4 million globally, up 61% year-over-year, with STEM certificates amassing 2.3 million enrollments, up 47% year-over-year. Low-income countries and regions have the greatest enrollment growth in entry-level Professional Certificates, including the Philippines (253% increase), Brazil (231%), Pakistan (228%), Indonesia (176%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (80%).
Learners in lower and middle-income countries prioritize digital skills more than high-income countries. Within these countries, learners are more likely to invest in acquiring skills such as software architecture, mobile development, and programming principles, enabling them to participate in local and remote talent opportunities. With learners in India and Nigeria second and third only to the U.S. in Professional Certificate enrollments, with 654,000 and 142,000 respectively.
AI skills are trending globally across education levels. Learners with postgraduate degrees are more likely to invest in advanced AI skills over-indexing learners with less formal education in subjects such as artificial neural networks (1.24x), applied machine learning(1.18x), and computer vision(1.22x). While learners with less education are focused on foundational digital skills needed to enable and implement AI technologies in the workplace such as network architecture and programming languages. Learners in Europe are more likely to invest in AI skills than other regions. Top skills include artificial neural networks, applied machine learning and deep learning, with learners in Germany more likely than learners in any other country to enroll in AI related courses.
https://www.eduvision.edu.pk/edu_news/hec-starts-registration-for-dlsei-coursera-free-training-news-3808
As part of its ongoing commitment to equip Pakistani youth with the high-demand skills needed for jobs of the future, HEC has embarked upon the third phase of its partnership with Coursera through the Digital Learning and Skills Enrichment Initiative (DLSEI). The registration process for Coursera registration has started. The deadline for Registration is extended till August 05, 2023.
DLSEI was launched in 2018 in partnership with Coursera and the previous two phases of the program witnessed a cumulative 0.25 million hours of online skilling across 12,000 learners. Some of the popular industry courses are in the areas of Project Management, Data Analytics, Programming, and Social Media Marketing, and soft skills like negotiation, communication, public speaking, and presentation.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC of Pakistan) has partnered with Coursera to offer free licenses to students. This opportunity is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so interested individuals are encouraged to act quickly. To take advantage of this offer, students can register at the HEC’s e-services portal.
https://propakistani.pk/2023/07/14/hec-and-coursera-offer-exclusive-licenses-to-pakistani-students/
The program is being launched under the Distance Learning and Skill Enhancement Initiative (DLSEI), an initiative by the HEC, which aims to equip students from higher education institutions with updated knowledge by engaging top-ranking universities across the globe.
This initiative provides students with access to online courses and certifications to enhance their skills. This partnership between HEC and Coursera is a great opportunity for students to expand their knowledge and skills.
Coursera is a leading online learning platform that offers courses from top universities and organizations around the world. With a free license, students will have access to a wide range of courses in various subjects.
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215379/hype-over-indias-economic-boom-dangerous-myth-masking-real-problems?module=hard_link&pgtype=article
It will take many years of stellar economic growth for India to begin matching China in economic importance, and no amount of miraculous thinking or “China plus one” investment is likely to accelerate that.
Also, many other important economic indicators remain problematic. India accounted for about 1 per cent of global manufacturing in 2000, compared with 7 per cent for China. By last year, India’s share had grown to 3 per cent against China’s 31 per cent. In 2000, India accounted for just 1 per cent of the world’s exports, and China 2 per cent. By last year, China accounted for 15 per cent of global exports against India’s share of 2 per cent.
India enthusiasts celebrate the youthfulness of India’s population, but ignore the reality that this is a problem rather than an advantage when they are poorly educated or even illiterate. To accommodate them, India must produce an estimated 90 million new jobs before 2030.
Allison reminds us that China produces twice as many STEM-qualified (in science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates as India, spends almost three times the percentage of its GDP on research and development, and produces 65 per cent of the world’s artificial intelligence patents (vs India’s 3 per cent).
As Bloomberg noted in April: “India is far behind China in key aspects important for manufacturing that include infrastructure, bureaucracy, attention to detail and even a sense of urgency.”
Supporters of India in search of a “hobble China” narrative have been encouraged by companies such as Apple and its main Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, which have made tentative steps to build investments in India, but ignore the challenges they have faced, and the reality that China remains their main manufacturing base.
They have ignored the withdrawals of companies like the Royal Bank of Scotland, Harley-Davidson and Citibank, and the many other companies with plans on hold. They have tended to celebrate the deliberate obstacles to prospective investment in China, even where China is a natural partner and the benefit of collaboration is huge.
Rather than harbouring dreams of dominating the world, India’s policymakers would benefit us all by opening up their economy and recognising that even if India does not surpass China, it can still be a huge driver in the global economy. China and India together account for one third of the world’s population, one third of the global consumer class, and a quarter of all consumer spending in purchasing power parity terms.
The 21st century may not be India’s century, but it is almost certainly Asia’s. Washington needs to come to terms with that, and perhaps New Delhi does too.
http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3807#
Pakistan: 64,604 students
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Bangladesh 49,151
Brazil 89,151
Canada 51,156
China 1,088,466
Egypt 43,243
India 516,000
Iran 66,701
Malaysia 55,311
Morocco 63,001
Nepal 95,268
Nigeria 71,753
Pakistan 64,604
Syria 87,057
South Africa 12,295
South Korea 100,610
Russia 57,591
Vietnam 132,559
UK 40,074
USA 109,827
Bangladesh (70,000) , Nepal (125,500), Pakistan (103,190), Philippines (62,000) and Thailand (40,720).
https://monitor.icef.com/2023/03/outbound-mobility-trends-for-five-key-sending-markets-in-asia/
Pakistan
The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 64,065 Pakistani students abroad in higher education. Outbound mobility from Pakistan was over 103,190 in 2022 when we consult more recent statistics published by government sources in various destinations. There have been large increases in Pakistani students recorded recently in the UK, Australia, US, Canada, and Germany.
The top three destinations for Pakistani students currently are UAE, UK, and Australia.
UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
UK: 23,075 in 2021/22 (+62% y-o-y)
Australia: 15,875 in 2022 (+15%)
US: 8,770 in 2021/22 (+17%)
Germany: 7,115 in 2021/22 (+22%)
Canada: 6,405 in 2022 (+38%)
Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysia: 4,700 in 2021
Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO